And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples,
which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye
might have life through his name.

(John 20:30-31)

While reading this passage of Scripture, the question arose "if then, this
was the reason why the apostle John wrote this and other Scriptures, why
did others write parts that make up the Bible?"

Recognition?

Fame?

Security?

Greed?

Being deceived?

Being servants of some other spiritual power?

The answer, of course, is for the recognition of who the Triune God is
and glorying in that fact.

And who is the Person that caused these men to do what they did?

God, in the Person of the Holy Spirit.

That's elementary enough not so?

It would seem then that these people were controlled by the Holy Spirit.

**************

Or were they?

Taken a bit further, if the Holy Spirit led men to write down what He taught
them, how is it possible that men can rewrite the Bible so many times,
subtly changing the quality of the message being transmitted? Are they
all led by the Holy Spirit?

Or by another spirit?

Should a pastor or prophet make a statement of a spiritual nature of something
that isn't Biblical or that doesn't come to pass, is he or she led by the
Holy Spirit?

That's also elementary, not so?

This means then, that before we accept the creed or ministry of any organisation
or person, let's ask ourselves "does anyone besides God get any glory (assets)
out of it?

So why then do those persons make the statements that they do?

Must be one or more of those half dozen reasons stated above.

Taken a little further, this means that the person concerned was not guided
by the Holy Spirit, and although a born again Christian can be led astray
by the prince of darkness by some temptation that he temporarily accepts
until he allows His loving Master to guide him out of it; it is rather
that the person concerned is not born again, but is a charlatan.

But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same
city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that
himself was some great one: To whom they all gave heed, from the least
to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him
they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.
But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom
of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and
women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued
with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were
done. Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria
had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: VWho,
when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the
Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands
on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. And when Simon saw that through
laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them
money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands,
he may receive the Holy Ghost.

(Acts 8:9-19)

But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast
thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither
part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of
God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps
the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou
art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.

(Acts 8:20-23)

**************

We see in the following passage that Paul was writing to born again Christians
- those who had found the precious Holy Spirit:

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ
Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law
of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of
sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through
the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and
for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law
might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but
they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally
minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and
peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is
not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that
are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in
the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man
have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

(Romans 8:1-9)

This obviously goes for us as well, and let's admit it, with Satan's subtle
weapons of keeping us busy, prosperity and television with it's evil intent,
etc., it's probably just as difficult to remain in the Spirit now as it
was then with the more direct, physical persecution and the fear that went
with it.

However, this law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is just the same:

Believe in my heart that God is love, that He is
light: that He can be trusted totally. Something that king Saul couldn't
do. See 1 Samuel 13:1-14 and 1 Samuel 15:29.

Believe in my heart in Christ Jesus - that He died for me,
that God raised Him from the dead for me (conviction).

Believe in my heart without reserve so that I submit, completely,
my way of life to the wishes of my new Lord and Master. Jesus showed the
way, He submitted unto death, even the torturous death of the cross (repentance
by me, and conversion by God). See Acts 19:17-20

Confess this fact to any who will listen.

Willingly and continually choose to act in this way and learn
more about my loving Master through His word and His Spirit.

O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. Sing
unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. For
the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be
feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols:
but the LORD made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before him:
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Give unto the LORD, O
ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give
unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and
come into his courts. O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear
before him, all the earth. Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth:
the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall
judge the people righteously. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth
be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof. Let the field be joyful,
and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice
Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall
judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

(Psalms 96:1-13)

**************

As we know by now, many ministers and church-goers are not converted, but
are searching for this gift - the gift of the presence and power of the
Holy Spirit. Most of them are waiting for God to reveal Himself to them
and then they will follow Him. That's why they go to church.

However, God - through the leading of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the
writers of the Scriptures, shows us that He wants us first to submit
to Him out of conviction of the heart and then He shall give us
that wonderful gift of Himself in the person of the Holy Spirit.

A well known writer who lived more than a century ago had this to say:

"Many anxious inquirers go wrong just here. They fully intend to go to
Christ whenever better feelings shall encourage them to do so. A little
more penitence and humility, will, they hope, impart to them a 'character'
which will entitle them to consideration. This is not to 'obey the truth'
but to 'frustrate the grace of God.' As well might men say, 'we will not
venture into the water till we have learned to swim.' The law of the kingdom
of grace is, you must come to Christ first of all. Make Him what
He claims to be, THE BEGINNING. All other things will then be added, right
feelings, godly sorrow, progress in sanctification, acceptable works. But
not one breath of real life will there ever be, until you shall become
united to Him by a living faith."

That this is so is continually written about by many of His servants:

Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they
might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but
not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness,
and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted
themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end
of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth
the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things
shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on
this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that
is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into
the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith
it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart:
that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess
with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God
hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart
man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall
not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek:
for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

(Romans 10:1-13)

Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the
Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but
the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am
in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works'
sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works
that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he
do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name,
that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall
ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments.
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that
he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the
world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but
ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not
leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the
world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me,
and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is
that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and
I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto
him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto
us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said
unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love
him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth
me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine,
but the Father's which sent me.

(John 14:10-24)

And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy
Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

(Acts 5:32)

And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira,
which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that
she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

(Acts 16:14)

But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout
all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should
repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

(Acts 26:20)

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with
all your heart.

(Jeremiah 29:13)

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee
from you.

(James 4:7)

Look at this most revealing passage of Scripture:

But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed
from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then
made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

(Romans 6:17-18)

I have so far been given over twenty cross references to this passage,
penned by very many of the Spirit led writers of both the old and new Covenants.

What a wonderful and faithful, loving, Living God; whom it is such an honour
to serve.

**************

We are the offspring of God, whether we like it or not - we are made in
His image.

That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and
find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live,
and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said,
For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of
God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver,
or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance
God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

(Acts 17:27-30)

So, if we refuse to accept the gift of His Holy Spirit, can we blame anyone
besides ourselves for being rejected and cast out?

**************

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit
of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is
none of his.

(Romans 8:9)

If the above verse applies to you - and the Holy Spirit will have convicted
you, perhaps by His providence, perhaps by a spiritual Gift for God's glory
- write out the following and paste it up on your shaving or make-up mirror

I am controlled by the Spirit of God!

and apply it in your life every day, just as those many writers
of the Scriptures did.

God shall honour you and manifest Himself to you.

Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and
were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, After they
were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered
them not. And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. And a vision appeared
to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying,
Come over into Macedonia, and help us. And after he had seen the vision,
immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that
the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

(Acts 16:6-10)

**************

Here's something else.

Angels appear to those seeking God but not yet born again.

The Holy Spirit of God works within and through His children.

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the
band called the Italian band, A devout man, and one
that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people,
and prayed to God alway. He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour
of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And
he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial
before God. And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose
surname is Peter: He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by
the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. And when the
angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household
servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually;
And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them
to Joppa. On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto
the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:
And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready,
he fell into a trance, And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending
unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let
down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the
earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And
there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said,
Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath
cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice: and the
vessel was received up again into heaven. Now while Peter doubted in himself
what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were
sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon's house, and stood before
the gate, And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter,
were lodged there. While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto
him, Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and
go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them. Then Peter went down
to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I
am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come? And
they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God,
and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God
by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of
thee.

(Acts 10:1-22)

And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is
he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.
To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth
in him shall receive remission of sins.

(Acts 10:42-43)

While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which
heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished,
as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured
out the gift of the Holy Ghost.

(Acts 10:44-45)

And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six
brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house:

(Acts 11:12)

So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and
from thence they sailed to Cyprus.

(Acts 13:4)

Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the
hand of those that spoiled them.

(Judges 2:16)

And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge,
and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the
judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of
them that oppressed them and vexed them.

(Judges 2:18)

Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead,
and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead
he passed over unto the children of Ammon.

(Judges 11:29)

Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his
brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward.
So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. But the Spirit of the LORD departed
from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.

(1 Samuel 16:13-14)

Angels also appear to Christians, but we see here that their ministering
is of a different nature, even though the purpose is the same; that God
is glorified:

Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing
of the church unto God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth,
the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two
chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And, behold, the
angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison:
and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly.
And his chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said unto
him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith
unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. And he went out,
and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel;
but thought he saw a vision. When they were past the first and the second
ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened
to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one
street; and forthwith the angel departed from him. And when Peter was come
to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his
angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from
all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

(Acts 12:5-11)

Everything spiritual of nature is for the glory of that spiritual
Person or person; not for the glorification or enrichment of mankind.